The initial fame propelled him to produce videos on the changing face of the Chinese society. For instance, he picked up the topic of mobile payments, where China is perhaps in the driver's seat globally.

Ahead of last year's G20 Summit in Hangzhou, he uploaded a video in which he went through a cashless day in the city using Alipay, the country's biggest mobile payment tool, from taking bus rides, paying bills to borrowing umbrellas free of charge.

Viewers' positive response pushed him to produce a sequel during this year's G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, when he read out an open letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to encourage the adoption of mobile payments.

"Here (in China) I found the era of mobile payments has arrived... it's time for Germany to learn from China," he said.

Through the shows, he got to know his future business partners, with whom he co-established a business consultancy Derksen Industries Co Ltd that targets smaller German businesses coming to China and those seeking to expand into Germany.

He also took charge of marketing and events for a fintech firm called Ginmon, which uses automated software to help people make smart investments overseas.

"Things change very fast here (in China). I don't normally make long-term decisions, but my ultimate goal is to be the cultural bridge between Germany and China," he said.